Unity, division and ideational security on the Korean peninsula : challenges to overcoming the Korean conflict

Purpose—Inter-Korean relations have long been the subject of IR analysis focused on a traditional conception of security. This article diverges from the traditional approach and applies an identity lens to South Korean unification policy, interpreting security from an ideational perspective in drawing the landscape of South Korean national identity formation in relation to North Korea.

Design/methodology—Post-structural analysis of the domestic discourses on unification policy in South Korea, from texts including promotional materials, policy documents, media articles and interviews spanning both progressive and conservative government rule.

Findings—The analysis finds two broad categories of identification with North Korea in the South Korean national narrative—negative and positive—with negative identification having increased over time, with clear implications for unification policy formation and change.

Practical implications—For the many domestic and international organizations concerned with research and promotion of inter–Korean reconciliation, understanding the national identity dynamics at work and their connection to the policy process is crucial to ensuring informed, useful contribution to the process.

Originality/value—Holds important explanatory value in understanding South Korean collective perceptions of the North as manifest in policy and the implications for inter–Korean reconciliation.